HC grants bail to AIIMS doctor accused of rape

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to an AIIMS doctor accused of raping a woman on the promise of marriage, prima facie observing they were in “an active and consensual live-in relationship”.

Justice Shalinder Kaur, who was hearing the bail plea of the junior resident doctor, said the woman got more FIRs registered for similar offences against others and some cases, including that of extortion, were also filed against her.

“Significantly, this court has also been informed by the counsel for the petitioner that the prosecutrix has lodged other FIRs of offences similar to the one in the present case, against other persons and also that some FIRs have been lodged against her,” the court said.

The extortion case was registered against the woman in which she was accused of extorting money from a man and his family, threatening them with criminal implication.

In its order dated May 30, the court said, “What emerges from the material placed before this court is a complex factual matrix wherein contradictory versions regarding the nature of the relationship between the petitioner (doctor) and the prosecutrix must be carefully weighed.”

The 39-year-old woman was stated to be an educated adult, previously married with a child with special needs. She was found to have resided with the doctor and his family for 15 days.

“It is evident from the record that despite alleging that the petitioner had sexually assaulted her in early December 2024, the prosecutrix had failed to report any incident to the police, and no explanation for the same has been put forth, and in fact, the prosecutrix continued to stay with him,” the court said.

It also came on record that the woman did not inform the doctor’s family about the alleged forcible sexual assaults.

The prosecution alleged that the doctor gave false assurances of marriage but his counsel called it a consensual live-in relationship and said no promise of marriage was ever made.

“Suffice to say, the prosecutrix, being a mature, educated and married woman, must be deemed to understand how marriage rituals work. Nonetheless, the said allegations would be a matter for the trial,” the court said.

The material on record “prima facie” indicated to the court that the doctor and the complainant were “in an active and consensual live-in relationship”.

The court noted that WhatsApp chats, travel plans, and photos indicated mutual affection and cohabitation. Contradictions were also found in the medico-legal report. A chargesheet has been filed, but the trial may take time. The 28-year-old AIIMS doctor, with no criminal history, cooperated fully.